Strain gauge



March 28, 1939 w MESSlNGER 2,152,556

STRAIN- GAUGE Filed March 12, 1936 William/146551;

W mwwmk 4rf M4 Ent v Patented Mar. 23, 1939 2,152,556

UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE STRAIN GAUGE William Messinger, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor to United Engineering & Foundry Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application March 12, 1930, SerlalNo. 68,434

' 3 Claims. (c1. 265 -12)v This invention relates to an improvement in Figure 1 is a. diagrammatic end view of a rollstrain gauges and more particularly to a mechalng-mlll housing showing a strain gauge, embody nism of this character for measuring the stresses dug features of the invention, applied to it. in machine frames and especially rolling-mill Figure 2 is a side view partly in section drawn c housings and roll-neck bearings. to an enlarged scale and illustrating a strain l I The object of this invention is provide a highly gauge, embodying features of the invention, in sensitive and accurate means for measuring and application to a machine frame, and visibly indicating the magnitude of the variable I Figures 3 and 4 are electrical wiring diagrams forces transmitted by the structural members of illustrating means for transmitting indications machines. Another object of the invention is to of the gauge to a remote point and for recording reproduce these indications. at a remotepolnt. the same, if desired. Another object is .to provide means for making a In the following description reference will be permanent record of the-forces measured. A still made to the application of the strain gauge to the further object is to provide for preventing temhousing A of a rolling mill for the purpose of i5 perature changes in the machine frame from indicating the pressures existing between the mill affecting the operation of the measuring mecharolls and the load on the bearings of the rolls, but nism. In particular, the invention is intended for it is not the intention to limit the use of the gauge application to the mill housings of rolling mills, to these specific purposes alone. to indicate continuously the intensity of the load In the drawing, I is a bar which is utilized to upon the mill rolls and the roll-neck bearings. convert into measurable movementthe deforma- U With these objects in view and others that will tion of the mill housing produced by the ,Varladevelop inthe ensuing description, the invention tions in the load imposed on it, and is made generally stated, comprises a metal bar with ter-- sufficiently long to be responsive to' deformation m al fast n s instru tal in mpelling a of a suflicient length of the housing to function reduced portion of the bar to sustain stress proproperly. In the particular bar I shown, which ll portional to the stress received by the machine it is to be understood may take other forms, 8. element to which the bar is fastened; a lever lateral notch 2 is provided at one of its ends. 3 is projecting from a portion of the bar, preferably an L-shaped amplifying lever having its vertical in right angle direction, which may be secured to limb slitted into two branches 5 and '6 by the the ba 0 be a integral P O it, and which denotch 4b and each branch being incised at 4 and livers an amplified manifestation of tensile or to to reduce the cross-section and facilitate bendfiexural strain of the reduced portion of the bar; ing of metal in the junction of the two limbs, and a mechanical indicating mechanism with or disposed at right angles, of the amplifying lever. without suitable electrical transmitting and re- This lever could be made integral with bar I 5 cording apparatus. but it is chosen to make a slidable connection in I The system employed is based on the fact that the recess 2, in order to align the terminal holes the deformations of elastic bodies are directly in bar I and lever Saccommodating the fastening proportional to the applied loads; When the screws, I and 8, with the tap-hole points of at- .bearings of a machine are subjected to loading, tachment Ia and 8a in the mill housing 40 forces, proportional to the load, are transmitted To facilitate the assembly of the screw I the 40 through the machine frame. The resulting vertical limb} of the lever 3 is provided with an elastic deflections of the frame, which are proopening 50 through which the screw is inserted portional to these forces serve as a direct measure and which is sufficiently large to avoid any bindof the bearing loads. Calibration may be accoming of the-screw head with the lever in operation.

plished by stressing the machine a known As indicated the ends of the strain gauge bar I u amount, preferably using hydraulic means, and I are connected by the screws I and I to the millobserving the corresponding indication of the inhousing A at points disposed respectively above strument. and below the roll pass-line B of the mill and mid- Other objects of the invention will appear way between the inner and outer faces of the so from the following description in which the inhousing. This positionlng'may not be essential Q vention will be more fully explained and at the although it is recommended as the maximum end of which the invention will be claimed. elongation of the housing post is expected to occur In the following desc 1 tion reference will be at such position when the mill is stressed due to madeto the drawing forming part' passing metal between the rolls. and when the hereofandinwhich: ;roll-neckbearingsEandFare loadedbythere-.I

2 arcane acting screw-down pressure. Stretch or strain of bearing loads may be established at the time o! the loaded mill-housing post causes the transthe calibration. f mission of. opposing forces through the 0011- The indications of the dial gauge may be transstriated sections of the lever, mainly compression mitted and recorded by means of a Wheatstone in lo and tension in 4d. We may consider 4e as bridge apparatus and suitable indicating andre- 5 the point of appiication of a force at the short end cording galvanometers, as will be explained in of a lever in which 4@ can be regarded as the fulconnection with the accompanying wiring diacrum. A point on lever 3 where stem I! of gauge grams, Figs. 3 and 4. In the lower position of H rests will move vertically an exaggerated Fig. 3 there is represented a small circular rheol0 amount compared to the relative movement bestat II which is fastened to'the frame of the dial l0 tween the upper end of the bar I and the upper gauge H. A light contact arm I! is fixed to the contact point I and in the ratio ofthe relativge central shaft of the gauge and rotates in correremoteness of the contact point of stem II and spondence with the indicating needle. thus varyof part 4c from the fulcrum 4d. ing the electrical resistance of the two rheostat 1| To eliminate errors due to thermal expansion legs in proportion to'the indications of the gauge.

the bar is made of the same material as the hous- Two additional resistance coils and II, the ing or of material having the same coefficient of first fixed and the other variable, compose the reexpansion and is placed within a slot 9 machined mainder of the bridge circuit. A sensitive milliin the mill housing and a metal cover-plate l0 ammeter 22 is also/illustrated, together with. a I mounted thereover flush with the housing surjack plug 23 for connecting ina recording instru- 20 face. By so enclosing the bar it and the housing ment as desired. 1 will remain at practically equal temperatures at The schematic wiring diagram, Fig. 4, shows all times. At its lower end the bar is firml'y sethe interconnection'of the various elements in a cured to the housing A by a cap screw 8, and its more concise manner. With the needle of the I sides are prevented from rubbing against the slot indicator and'the rheostat contact arm It in the 2s walls by means of spacer washers i2. position corresponding to zero load, the position This form of amplifying lever has the advanof the slide wire on resistance coil 2i may be adtage of ruggedness, for there are no joints or conjusted so that no current flows through the millitact areas to offer frictional resistance and beammeter. The relation necessary for this con- 3 come deranged in service.' Near the end of the dition is that RIXRJ=R2XR4. When the contact lever I there is applied the stem of a. dial gauge arm is displaced from this neutral position, the I having its body fixed to the housing proper. condition of equilibrium is destroyed and a our- .Th en ion 0! the sin 18 amplifi y the rent will flow through the meter 22. This current magnifying lever 3 and indicated by the dial will vary' directly with the amount of rotation of a gauge. In practice the deformations available the contact arm, and will be further modified in f r measu m nt are v ry sm lh at v m velinear relation to the resistance of the meter cirment under maximum load, of .001", bein yll cuit which is made adjustable by means of variacal. Under these conditions the ratlO 0f he ble resistance Rt. It is therefore evident that rem snlfy ng WOuld be 80 that the readsistance R5 provides a means for equating the 4. n! ,Of the l a e. 1' c n n indications of the electrical instruments to those 40 qwl Er flli of the dial gauge. These circuits are actuated by In the embodiment shown all the exp sed par s a low direct current potential, approximately 10 qf th st ainasurin Systemv are m d" volts, maintained constant by means of a voltage a bath of light oil at height II, the oil being;remt tained by the cove plate end a cup-like cover This invention is not limited to the example deg "a. In this way these parts are protected against scribed herein and which was chosen for illustracorrosive action and accumulations of dust and tiv ur oses, Modifications in sizes and shapes thebar i more effectively maintained at the same may be made by those wishing to apply this inmp m re as the h usin F r removing this vention to their particular requirements, with- Oil a threa ed dr n p 18 provided in h out departing from the object and scope of the lower end of the cover plate iii. A heavy guard invention as defined in the appended claims.

- Ills provided to protect the dial gauge and other, I claim:

, projecting parts ofthe apparatus from injury. l. A strain gauge for stressed frames compris- In applying the device to anyv particular maing a bar connected at one end to said frame and chine, the elastic constants and stresses may first extended along a length of the frame with which 5 be estimated from the dimensions. This inforit is used, means responsive to relative movement mation. in conjunction with the desired scale de-- between the other end of said bar and the adiiection oi the indicator gives anapproximationto jacent portion of said frame occasioned by dethe required length of extensometer or bar. formation of the frame due to stresses set up in q) When the apparatus has been set up.the origthe frame for measuring the extent of said deinal gauge length may be modified by changing formationbetween selected points on the frame,

the location of the lower clamping screw I along means encasing the bar. with the frame and a the length of the bar. Thismay be accomplished liquid within said encasing means in intimate by drilling additional holes for the screw in the contact .with saidbarand the adjacent frame .5 bar and mill housingor in any other suitable way. for maintaining said bar at substantially the 0:,

- Closer adjustment ia accomplished by slightly 7 temperature of the frame.

4 alteringthe magnification ratio of the amplifying 2. In combinatioma machine frame having a lever, which isdone by adjusting the dial gauge l4 slot therein. for. accommodating a bar, a bar on its support Ila. For'adjusting the indicating lodged in the slot and connected at one end to I needle of the indicator after the indicator is insaid frame,a cover plate sealing'the slot, a liquid 70 stalled an adjustable threaded section lid is proretained in the slot in intimate contact with said vided at the lower end of the lever engaging stem bar and adjacent portions of the frame whereby II. It is, important that these adjustmentsmay the harem machine frame, temperatures are be readily made in order that a convenient and preserved substantially unified, and means re- II integral relation between dial' indications and sponsive to'relative movement between the other It end of the bar and the adjacent portion of the of the lines of force in the housing, a gauge head frame for measuring stresses accruing in said frame. x

In combin -tion a rolling mill housing having a vertical window therein for the reception of the roll chucks, an elongate bar attached at one end to said housing at one side of saidvwindow on the medial line or one oi-the walls thereof and disposed at right angles to the axis 01. the mill rolls 10 and with its other end extending in the direction anchored with respect to the housing and connection for operation by the last mentioned end of said'bar, means for encasing the bar with respect to the housing, and liquid means surrounding said bar and contacting said housing to maintain said WILLIAM MESSINGER. 

